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A centenarian became the world's oldest diver!

Listen to this article Bill Lambert chose an unusual way to celebrate his 100th birthday. The man, who lives in Illinois, decided to become a Guinness World Record holder for the oldest diver. For this purpose, Lambert went under the water accompanied by staff from the local diving club. Despite his advanced age, Bill Lambert

ByMarcin Pawełczyk

Published: September 10, 2020 - 19:38

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 21:02

A centenarian became the world’s oldest diver!

Listen to this article

Bill Lambert chose an unusual way to celebrate his 100th birthday. The man, who lives in Illinois, decided to become a Guinness World Record holder for the oldest diver. For this purpose, Lambert went under the water accompanied by staff from the local diving club.

Despite his advanced age, Bill Lambert conducted a 27-minute nitrox dive on September 7, two days after his 100th birthday, with staff from Loves Park Scuba dive centre in Pearl Lake, South Beloit, overseeing his safety.

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The dive took place in the area of a flooded former gravel pit, where the average depth is 11 metres and at the deepest point you can go down to a depth of 26 metres.

Interestingly, the lucky jubilarian only started diving at the age of… 98! He obtained his certificate in Cozumel, Mexico. Lambert is almost three years older than the current long-time world record holder, but now he still has to undergo positive verification by the Guinness World Records Bureau.

So far, officially, the record still belongs to British diver Ray Woolley, whose last feat was diving to the depth of 42 m, on the famous Cypriot wreck Zenobiawhich he performed on his 96th birthday.

About author

Marcin Pawełczyk

Marcin’s journey with diving has been an adventure. Starting as a recreational diver, he soon found himself drawn to the fascinating stories and mysteries of Baltic wrecks. After gaining experience, Marcin decided to go beyond just leisurely exploration and took his training up a notch by completing the TMX course, allowing him to explore even deeper and uncover the secrets of inaccessible places. His next challenge has been cave diving, where he is honing his skills to become a certified diver. Not content to simply take in the breathtaking beauty of underwater life, Marcin has also embraced underwater photography since 2018, capturing stunning shots that bring these worlds alive for those who are unable to experience them first-hand. Marcin’s passion for the underwater has taken him far and is sure to continue doing so as he dives into new depths and captures breathtaking images.